Each member of the 2026 Haslam Sports Group Business Fellowship Class can remember exactly where they were when they received the phone call offering them a spot in this year's class.
The importance and impact of the position made those acceptance calls impossible to forget.
The Haslam Sports Group Fellowship program started in 2021, providing participants with experience across different sports business disciplines. The fellowship lasts one year, where participants gain experience and expertise in their specific area, working closely and alongside industry professionals with the Browns.
This year, four recent college graduates were selected from a highly competitive applicant pool to participate. Meet the four fellows a part of the 2026 class:
Brayden Hayes
During his junior year of high school, Brayden Hayes sat down with his guidance counselor to discuss future career paths.
That conversation ended with Hayes finding out about sports management programs and ultimately deciding on a college — Baldwin Wallace University, which is just around the corner from CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. There, Hayes found his passion for working in the sports industry. He has worked the 2025 Super Bowl, 2026 Super Bowl, the NHL Draft and March Madness.
"I didn't know exactly where I wanted to be in sports, but the path that it's taken me, I've loved it so far," Hayes said.
And that path is continuing with the HSG Business Fellowship program after mentors, professors and classmates brought the opportunity to Hayes' attention. Hayes remembers receiving his acceptance call at the Division I men's wrestling tournament, making the rest of the event much more enjoyable.
From playing wide receiver and safety for his small high school two hours away in Western New York — with a graduating class of just 34 — to being selected as an HSG Fellow, Hayes said he is excited for what is to come working in the marketing and events department.
"Everybody here has been so great, and (there is) just so much to learn from everybody here," Hayes said. "So, just being able to take that knowledge and apply it to wherever I get the opportunity to further my career path. Just being able to shadow different departments, being able to have those opportunities, it's going to set me up for so much success."
Keyur Mistri
When Keyur Mistri first stepped onto the University of Georgia's campus as a freshman, he was a political science and business administration double major.
That quickly changed, though.
Mistri switched out political science for sports management — a decision to follow his passion for sports.
"I realized, 'You know what? I'm just going to go all in on sports,'" Mistri said. "I just love it too much to not chase my dream."
That change brought Mistri around the country and globe, with him participating in a study abroad sports management program in partnership with Real Madrid in Spain, interning at the US Soccer Federation headquarters in Georgia, and now as an HSG Business Fellow.
When his acceptance call came in, Mistri was at home. He knew the call could come at any moment. Even though Georgia lost in March Madness later that day, it didn't matter because the excitement from getting the fellowship hadn't worn off.
Mistri will be working in the business operations department, where he is assisting on different projects such as the upgrades to the Crew's locker rooms, the new Huntington Bank Field location and upgrades to the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus facility.
"Everyone talks about in order to get a job in sports, how important it is to network and to gain experience," Mistri said. "And I think that's the biggest thing I'm trying to gain out of this experience here is to just learn more about the club, learn more about the people who work here and my role within operations as well."
Shelby Sallee
Shelby Sallee's first introduction to the HSG Business Fellowship opportunity came when her dad showed her an article on the Browns' website introducing a different year of HSG Fellows.
It's a bit of a full-circle moment for the former collegiate soccer player, who grew up in Strongsville, Ohio, as a Browns fan, including going to training camp to watch the team.
"Even at my desk, I have a little picture of me in front of the Browns sign for training camp," Sallee said. "[I'd] never been in the building, though, so coming in here was super cool a couple of months ago when we first came to visit."
The acceptance call came in when Sallee was at home. Immediately after the call, she told her parents, who quickly spread the news.
Sallee played college soccer at Xavier University before transferring to Auburn University for her junior and senior seasons. She scored a total of 18 goals during her college career, adding eight assists.
Being able to take what she learned from the schedule of a college athlete, as well as building on the skills she developed while transferring schools halfway through her college career will be instrumental in her role as an HSG Fellow.
"I transferred, and I always talk about how that took a ton of organization," Sallee said. "And networking and discussing with other people what I want, what they want, and what is needed in the future. So, I think just being able to talk to people [and] be organized in what I know."
Sallee will be working in the business analytics department, including data architecture.
Caroline Pietrick
Caroline Pietrick was working an event at the business school of her college, Washington University in St. Louis, when she opened her phone to a voicemail. It was about the HSG Business Fellowship.
She ran out to call back and can remember the feeling of being told she was selected as one of this year's four fellows.
Pietrick was introduced to the fellowship by a college professor, and she immediately knew it was an opportunity she wanted. Growing up in the Cleveland area, with her dad also being a season ticket holder with the Browns, were two of the many reasons the fellowship stood out.
"[That] definitely was a reason," Pietrick said. "Another reason [for] applying was just the opportunity that this program has and puts us in a great spot for not only networking and making connections but really having hands on experience that contributes to the success of the organization."
During the fellowship, Pietrick will work in the marketing department, an area in which she has previous experience.
"It's been great," Pietrick said. "Everyone's been so welcoming and [has] open door policies, which is great to go and talk and see what's going on in other departments. It's an incredible setup we have here."
